Drinking Water Treatment

California high school student wins 2020 US Stockholm Junior Water Prize

July 12, 2021

Eshani Jha is the winner of the 2020 U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize for her method to use modified biochar for the removal of toxic contaminants from water.

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ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The Water Environment Federation (WEF) has announced that Eshani Jha is the winner of the 2020 U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize for her method to use modified biochar for the removal of toxic contaminants from water.

Jha won $10,000 and will represent the United States at the international competition in August.

Students from 43 states, Armed Forces Abroad, and Puerto Rico competed in the national finals during a virtual event. The Stockholm Junior Water Prize is the nation’s most prestigious youth competition for water-related research and aims to increase students’ interest in water issues and careers. The competition is open to projects focused on improving water quality, resource management, protection, and drinking water and wastewater treatment.

"The passion, creativity and skill on display during the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition is both impressive and inspiring," said Lynn Broaddus, WEF President. "WEF is proud to support these students as they continue to identify and explore solutions to the challenges facing our global water environment."

Eshani Jha, a student at Lynbrook High School in San Jose, Calif., developed a method to use modified biochar for the removal of toxic contaminants from water. Her research aimed to remove contaminants by manipulating biochar surface area, controlling chemical composition and catalytic properties for oxidative breakdown, adding surface complexing agents, and modifying intrinsic pore size. Results indicate that the modified biochar removed over 94 percent of pesticides, 53 percent of pharmaceuticals, 95 percent of microplastics, and 96 percent of heavy metals within 10 minutes.

For more information on the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, including a full list of winners and runners-up, visit https://www.wef.org/sjwp.